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Acquisition of Early Developmental Milestones and Need for Special Education Services in Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis

Gregory Aaen1, Michael Waltz2, Wendy Vargas3

  • 1Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital, Loma Linda, CA, USA.

Journal of Child Neurology
|December 18, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Children with pediatric multiple sclerosis achieve early developmental milestones like walking and speaking on time. However, they may require more educational support services in school.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Neuroimmunology

Background:

  • Pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) is a rare, chronic autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system.
  • Early developmental milestones are crucial indicators of healthy childhood development.
  • Understanding the impact of pediatric MS on these milestones is essential for early intervention and support.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate if children with pediatric-onset MS experience delays in achieving fundamental early developmental milestones.
  • To compare the acquisition of walking and two-word phrases in children with pediatric MS versus healthy controls.
  • To identify potential associations between age of MS onset and the need for educational support.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study involving 467 children with pediatric MS and 428 healthy pediatric controls across 16 US centers.
  • Data collection via questionnaires assessing the age of first unaided walking and the acquisition of two-word phrases.
  • Statistical analysis to compare milestone achievement and the need for educational assistance based on MS diagnosis and age of onset.

Main Results:

  • Children with pediatric MS were not significantly delayed in walking or using two-word phrases compared to controls (2.2% vs 5.7%).
  • Children with MS onset before age 11 were more likely to require individualized education plans, reading assistance, and math assistance.
  • A significant association was found between earlier disease onset and increased need for educational support services.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis does not typically delay the achievement of basic early developmental milestones like walking and early language.
  • Children diagnosed with MS before age 18 show a significantly higher utilization of special education services and learning assistance.
  • Further research is warranted to explore other developmental domains, such as fine motor skills and language acquisition rates, in pediatric MS.

Keywords:
cognitive impairmentdevelopmental milestonesmultiple sclerosispediatric

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